AI Lab Research Engineer

Cambridge, MA USA;
San Francisco, CA USA

We are seeking talented and visionary AI Lab Research Engineer to develop scientific AI models to tackle complex, multi-step problems across domains to join our team. Title will be determined by merit and experience level.

In this role, you will design, train, and deploy advanced AI agents capable of performing sequential decision‑making, reasoning, and task completion in scientific contexts.

As an AI Lab Research Engineer at Lila Sciences, you’ll work alongside experts in biology, materials science, automation to push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI-driven research.

• Agentic AI for science: Systems that perform sequential decision‑making and multi‑step reasoning to solve domain‑specific problems.
• Workflow/code generation: From natural language intent to typed, executable steps for lab instruments.
• Evaluation & reliability: Benchmarks, test suites, and telemetry to measure capability and quantify progress toward scientific goals.

• PhD or Masters in a quantitative discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering) with a strong background in machine learning and one domain of science (e.g. biology or materials science).
• Strong grasp of LLMs and agent architectures (planning, tool use, structured function calling, code generation) and how to adapt them to domains.
• Proficiency in modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Tensor Flow, JAX) and experience implementing scalable solutions for complex tasks.
• Comfort collaborating across disciplines and interfacing with simulations and real lab systems.

• Building long‑horizon agents or RL for control/decision‑making; experience with model‑based or offline RL.
• Designing domain‑specific benchmarks and evaluation harnesses for complex scientific tasks.
• Publications or open‑source contributions in AI for science (especially publications in top-tier conferences like NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, ICLR).

San Francisco, CA or Cambridge, MA (Hybrid and On‑Site available depending on team needs).

Lila Sciences is the world’s first scientific superintelligence platform and autonomous lab for life, chemistry, and materials science. We are pioneering a new age of boundless discovery by building the capabilities to apply AI to every aspect of the scientific method. We are introducing scientific superintelligence to solve humankind's greatest challenges, enabling scientists to bring forth solutions in human health, climate, and sustainability at a pace and scale never experienced before.

Learn more about this mission a.ai

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

We offer competitive compensation including bonus potential and generous early equity. The final offer will reflect your unique background, expertise, and impact.

Expected Base Salary Range: $148,000 - $240,000 USD